Atmospheric river to bring showers to Fresno area. How much rain will we get?

An atmospheric river-fueled storm is expected to flow through the Central Valley, bringing rain showers to the Fresno area.

"Tis the season for atmospheric rivers !" the National Weather Service said in a post on X. "They are capable of producing strong winds, heavy precipitation, and flooding to vulnerable areas."

In Fresno, rain showers are forecast to start on Friday and last through at least Monday, the weather service said.

What is an atmospheric river? According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, atmospheric rivers are streams in the atmosphere that carry water vapors outside of the tropics.

They're sometimes referred to as "rivers in the sky."

"That's what produces our heavy rainfall that we see during the winter months, and then, of course, produces snow in the mountains," said Kris Mattarochia, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Hanford.

Usually, the rain produced by an atmospheric river lasts for two to three days, according to Mattarochia.

"It can produce larger amounts of rainfall because it's raining consistently through the weekend," he said.

What's the latest weather forecast for Fresno? Monday in Fresno was expected to be sunny, with a high temperature near 59 degrees, according to the National Weather Service's latest forecast .

The temperature was expected to drop to around 36 degrees overnight with patchy frost after 5 a.m.

Fresno will have a 34% chance of light precipitation on Monday, according to the National Weather Service, resulting in about a 10th of an inch of rain.

On Tuesday, there will be areas of frost in Fresno before 8 a.m.

Otherwise it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 56 and an overnight low around 44.

Wednesday will be partly sunny with a high near 67 and an overnight low around 46.

More sunshine is expected Thursday, when the high will be near 70 and the low will be around 46.

When will rain return? Isolated rain showers are expected after 10 a.m. Friday, the weather service said, when there's a 20% chance of precipitation.

The temperature will reach a high near 71 degrees during the day, and drop down to 53 degrees overnight.

Friday night will see scattered showers, with thunderstorms possible after 10 p.m. The chance of precipitation will be 40%, the weather service said.

Showers are expected Saturday, along wind gusts as high as 15 mph. The high will be near 63 degrees, and the low will be around 50.

There's an 80% chance of precipitation during the day, the weather service said, with new precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

More showers will fall Saturday night, bringing additional rainfall between a 10th and quarter of an inch.

On Sunday, there's a 50% chance of precipitation with scattered showers in the forecast. The high will be near 62.

Fresno could see new rainfall between a 10th and quarter of an inch, the weather service said.

How much rainfall will we get? "This will be the heaviest rainfall and snowfall event that we've experienced so far this wet season," Mattarochia said.

From Friday morning through Monday morning, "There's a 53% chance of an inch of rain in Fresno and pretty much all across Fresno County," he said. "Of course, those amounts increase heading into the Sierra Nevada."

At higher elevations, such as Lake Thomas A. Edison, the precipitation will take the form of snow, according to Mattarochia.

There is a 42% chance of six inches or snow or more at elevations of 7,000 feet and higher, he said.

How to drive safely during stormy weather The National Weather Service offered these tips for how to stay safe while driving during stormy weather: